Sluice-gate construction



" H. B. PRATT SLUICE GATE CONSTRUCTION Oct. 4, 1927.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed' Sept. 27, 1924 I HnrgB.Pr'a

ct 7 H. B. PRATT SLUICE GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed sept. 27, 1924 z sheets-sheet 2 Invenoz':

A i others, the advantages and novel Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

.HENRY B'. 15M-Tres mmm, Naw-,aanname Y sturen-GATE consrnuorron.

"Application med-september 27, :1924. serial Vin .74o ,r2 `s2."y

This invention relates to sluioe gates for controlling the -low of water at dams looks andsimilar structures, and its-objeet .is to provide an 4improved -gate having,l .among `:features hereinafter pointed out. l

In the drawings ofone embodiment ".ofmy invention vselected for illustration and "desoription7 s' Fig'. .1 is .a vvertical section' through ia loon- .ventional form of dam showing my improved gate construction; Y

`Figi. 2, a planof the same `partly broken away;` and Fig. 3, a Cross section on the line .3.43,

Figs. 4 and .51 frespeotively fshow modified forms of construction of the flower i gate end.

Referring to Figs. f1, 2, 3,-the dam Lis-oonst'ruoted'oll any desirable fmaterial, as earth lor concrete, in the illustration the yformer is I' shown, :and of required widthand fheight. "i Atvthezdesired spot, a .gate proteetingfohamber and :guide 2 is formed with a front wall '25 3,-'rearwall 4, andisidewalls fyofio'onerete, 'iron,' brick yor wood, solid or otherwise .as 1nay befdesiredythe chamber .in this finstance being rectangular although'itmight be of any Ipreferred xterm, `and fof fsuitable height.

lThese chamberwalls,Y Fig. l, 'reist upon a suitable foundation vTfhaNing .formeduwithin 'ita epassageTato asluioeway :/Sfleading down stream. It' should beunderstood that v'the chamber 2, as such, is'notfa' necessary Jfeature 11T fofmy invention, as any enclosurer or: skeleton struotu're or suitable guide' to Iproteet ithe gate from trash'- in fthe water :and guide it in l=its movement isall that'is necessary.

The `wall `yFigs.` l, 3,1lias water'inlet4 open- 4i ingsloriportals 9 of suitablefsieon'th'e front and 'both sides or one-'at any'oneorrmore'of fthese points as desired,"whieh are .guarded 1 -by tra-sh ra'elrs 10, which may b e=in olin edfbars positioned against kthe walls 3, 5, 6, `and the "545 foundation to preventthe'entry int-o lthe ehamber 2 ofrubbish of lany kind ink quantity or size sutlicient to cause damages to'the gate `or' interfere with itsf operation.

l Vithin/.thechamber12 and ofsuitablefsiz'e and lvshape,'eylindrioal oriotherwisa iherein 'the former, is'agatelfl, herein open at the top, and olosedfat thefsides-.andthebottom or lower en'tl,ibutliavingf'i1i'thatend a V*water outlet .port or'open'inn` 12laiid1having inthe w side Ewalla water inletgport oriop'ening 13.

nohainber.

This iinlet opening* isof required size; but .preferably smaller than the :out'le'tkopening .12. rIlhe inlet r13 preferablyhasa'eoolr 13 controlled by fa -vvalve stem extended ito` the ttop'oi'f .the gate,-so that the inlet4 13,. mayx-be folosed against `Water/.if-,zatany timeethat :sl'iouldfbe desirable, as forinst'anoeito'repair i downwardly extended portion.15w hioh il" :ber by :a lever r16oonneotedktoithe'valve by a xlink .-17, the lever being pivoted .to :an upyrightI stem 18rseoured to the 1. oross'fbeams" :19, f

Figs :l andB, at th-e-b'ottomof .thesgate and extended upwardly above the top of f the A gate Ya suitable distance .to act asfa'guide orthe nlatter in'it-s upward travelandf-asya 'means of 'controlling somewhat the aetionof the gate. i i

, At its `upper end rligsayl.; 12, tlierstem is :provided :with a rack20'whiehengages a.ge`ar...21 :on a winch 22 on the'top231of'the fA fbralre '2?1 provided 'for'ithe Iwinch so that the movement ofltliegatezmay' so Il,

-be :controlled fon'its upward 1(travel :and pre-` Yvented:fir-onuri-sing eitherlfastfo'r farxenou-gh to do any damage. On the chamberztop', as aa preoautiom 4bumpers 25 '.fareprovid-ed tol beV leng/*aigre d vby aa' Y striker :2.6 .on .the stein-18 vfor :the:saniepurpo'se, and guidesf'27 fare "piror f yvidedonfthe oha'inbiei-lwallgA In Fi g;1 the fgate Ais shown?astelosedy and .the normal water llevel 'in the' striearn;i abovev and 'in the -fgate :v and 4its chamber 'is eindieated :by the :appropriate legend.4 i f i The method of using my novel A.gate lisas fi l (follows To open 'the I fgateytheoook 13beingnon 'malty open,y the fvalvef1f2a is rraised'by means .of the1lever16 :and lin-lr'17'ito` allow the water .f i

'to escapefrom withinfthefgateiby means of .the routlet1f2, vwhich .fit will 'l do, without closiing the-.valve 134,..inasmuoh`as, as stated,l the 'outlet 12 tifs flarger :than "the vinlet 13. yfVVhen :the water vin fthe gate has sheen .lowered 'to the point wherethe weight of the lwater f in fthe gaite plus the weight'of 'the 'gate is less '.tlianthe :upward: pressure-'of fthe water against f thateportionv of the lower end of l:the ga'te laterally overhangmg E the Jgate `seat '.28

l i Vslowly and then rapidly, and its trayelshould i be checked and controlledV by means of the brake`24, .Asthe gate leaves itsseat 28, the

water rushes between the gate end and its seat and, to "ensure the raising ,of the gate suiiiciently under -allfconditina the bafiie` is provided. l'lhe rushing ofthe water past and against the baille retards the flow of Y water and y pressure an i the additional impetus ensuresives the' gate further upward the raising offthe gate Yto the point indicated 4by dotted .lines unless stopped fby the brake,

:the water escaping to the sluice way8. Ob-

' 'viously some-water may continue to enter the' inlet 132 inthe gate but the inlet being v smaller than the outlet Vl2,thewater will at Y once flowH out again. V'Other forms of baffle jinembers 29, as at Fig; L4 and 30 as at Fig. 5

f :may beused -if-desired, as shownV in Figs.l 4, -fao' v f 5 To close thefgatethe Avalve. y12a is closed,-

115,yk respectively.y

`Vand asthelwater from *the portal 9 fillsth'e gate through .inlet,13,'thegate will gradually settle and finally close the outlet 7a.

Y' v`novelfgate,..whatever its, siz'e, can readilyfbe operated fby.- one man `.because the y gateiisopenedyand closedby'the pressure orjweight :of the watertas thecase may be, with practically no friction, `wlliilei sliding gates, owing ,to thev immense pressure 'of water against themen one side only, require the strength of several. men `or machinery power'operated gates.

to operate ythem. Obviously the L@greater the overhang ofthe bottomv of the gateonits seat, thegreater willV be thef water pressure tending to raise. the gate.. The gate .will also fopenA and close quicker than "manuallyy or My invention not restricted in all par- :Lticulars to the particular embodiment shown.

Iclaimf-QL e y L i f1. Slu-ice gate construction comprising a )lnorr'nally vfloating unsupported gate, a water -gatenormally floatingxfro'm itsfown inherent v inlet thereto, a water outlet therefrom, means Y 4.5

5to close ftheinlet'fand outlet,y aseat for the pressure unaided raises thegate 2.- Sluice gate constructioncomprising a .,zbuoyancyfhaying awater inlet and a water f outlet .and anfoyerhanging' lower end with thegate Y l 3.5. Sluice l'gate `construction `comprising a baffle port-ion,'fmeans=to` open and* close the rciutlet to fraise e; and r` lowerv 1 the l gate, and a seat.: having a water passage therethrough Vand with a head: water. space about it and `ben'ea'ththe oVerhanging-gate eiidtov unseat buoyant gate, a seat thereforv of less diameter than -thefgate with va'water passage thereljlthrjough, the displacementof said` gate lying fflwitho'iit the. `vertical. projection of said seat being of such magnitude that the upward pressure on the horizontal projection of said" gatelying outside the vertical projection of the seat v`will cause the gate to rise when the interior of the gate is unwatered, and the overbalancing of this pressure by filling the gate will cause the gate to return to its seat.

4. Sluice gate construction.'comprising a normally floating springless gate, a water iiilet and outlet therefor, Valves for said inlet and outlet by 'means of which itlmaybe` filled and emptied of Water, a seat for the gate .having a water passage therethrough and-providing la head water space around the-seat andbeiieath the gate end to unseat A the gate when empty.

g5. Sluice gate construction comprising al normally floating gate supported only bythe water and having'` a waterrinlet and a'watei1 Houtlet, means to open and close said inlet and outlet, and "avseatfor the gate constructed and arranged to `provide a water bearing surface about it and beneath the gate end, s vgate j to enable the head water to unseat the when empty. 4

6. Sluice gate construction comprising a Y .normally floating gate witha water inlet and outlet only in its lower end, valves for opening and closing said inletv` and outlet to fill and empty the'gate, a vrib like seat` for the rgate vhaving a waterv passage there- Y vthrough and providing an overhang forthe'; gate yend and la bafhe'zmembergon the gate i end to permit the ywater to 'raise the gateV K 7. VSluice gateoonstruction comprising a` buoyant gate with a water inlet and outlet, aguide therefor, a .seat for the gate lwith a ico . water outlet therethrough, means yto close the inlet and outlet, a stem for the gate, and

a bralefor the steiii'to kcontrol the nature 'e of movementl of the gate.

8. Sluice gate construction comprising a normallyfloating gate havinga water inlet and outlet only'therein'and a valve for the outlety to cont-rol the buoyancy of.r the gate, a

baille member on the lower gateend', a seat "for the vgate with aV water passage therethrough, saidseat corresponding in outline to the outline ofthebaffle member and providing tliereabout and vbeneath lthe gate end water pressure surface to unseat the gate. Y

let,`a'guide for the gate, means to close the inlet and outlet, a stem for the Vgate and a 9. Sluice gate vconstruction comprising a `curvilinear gate with awater -inlet and outbrake for controlling the action of stem and gates I Y 1 10. Sluice gate construction comprising, in combination', aV gate; ya seat therefor of `'less diameter than said gate; means to admit.-

head pressure totheunder side of the gate outside of the seat. and means to admit liquid to and discharge itV fromthe interior of the vgatelwliereby head pressure may -be lemployed to hold the gate upon. its seat, and the release of vsufch pressure .ffromthe' '1 -gate permits Ehead=p`'ressure :beneath the 'gate and outside theiseatte lift #negatelandfperint discharge of hea-d liquid f-ifom t-heseat. v

11. Sluice gate construction comprising, in combination, a -g'ate'gla seat therefor ofy less diameter than said gate;means to admit head pressure to ihetuider side of the gate outside of the seat; means to admit liquid to and discharge it from the interior of the gate whereby head pressure may be employed to hold the'gate upon-its seat, and the release of such pressure from said gate permits head pressure beneath the gate and outside the seat to lift the gate and permit discharge of head liquid through the` seat; and means connected with' the gate and eX- tending within the seat to limit the area of discharge through said seat during a portion of the opening travel of the gate.

12. Sluice gate construction comprising, in combination, a gate; a seat therefor of less diameter than the gate; means to adrmit head pressure lto the bottom of the gate outside the seat; means to admit liquid to and discharge it from the interior of the gate whereby head pressure may be employed'to hold the gate upon its seat,`and the release of such pressure from the gate permits head pressure beneath the gate and outside the seat to lift the gate and permits discharge of the head liquid through the seat; and means connected with the gate and extending within the seat to limit the area of discharge through the seat during the 1nitial opening movement of the gate.

13. Sluice gate construction comprising, in combination, a gate; a seat therefor of less diameter than the gate; means to admit head pressure to the bottom of the gate outside the seat; means to admit liquid to and discharge it from the interior of the gate whereby head pressure may be employed to hold thegate upon its seat, and the'release of such pressure from the gate permits head pressure beneath the gate outside the seat to lift the gate and permits discharge of head liquid through the seat; andV means independent of the fluid action on the gate to control the movement of the latter.

14. Sluice gate const-ruction'comprising a normally floating gate, a water inlet and Voutlet therefor, valves for said inlet and outlet by means of which it may be filled and empf tied of water, a seat for the gate so conystructed as to admit head water thereunder Y ously about the seat and beneath the gate,

whereby when thehead water is drawn'from fthe;v gate, ehe headV vwater benaderen@ ga-te Y discharge passage therethrough, fa 'gate interesen, haviag i'n'let lando'iitlet to 'seat and unseat "the fgaft'ey'and admitting 'li'ead pressure lnorir'all'y beneath -t'he lower end-oifthe gate iwhen' "the latter is, seated.

17. Sluice gate construction comprising a' bouyant gate 11 higher when seated than l the normal water line, having a water inlet 13 and outlet 12only therein, av baffle member'l and seat 28 vfor the gate, whereby the `gate will float automatically when empty,

and will seat yitself. automatically -when filled. y

18. Sluice gate construction comprising, in combination, a. gate; a seat therefor of less diameter than said gate; means to admit head pressure to the under side of the gate outside said seat,'and means to vary the volume of liquid within said gate whereby to cause head pressure within the gate to hold the gate upon its seat or the head pressurev beneath the gate andjoutside the seat to act upon and in a direction tendingto initially lift said gate, the effective lifting pressure varying according to variation in the volume` of liquid contained within said gate.v

19. Sluice gate construction comprising,

in combination, a gateseat having an open within said gate to increase the buoyancy of the gate thereby to facilitate and initiate movementl thereof to uncover the gate seat.

20. Sluice gate construction comprising, 1n comblnation, ai gate; a seat therefor of` less diameter than saidrgate; means to Vadmit head pressure to the under side of the gate outside the seat; means to admit liquid to the gate; means of larger capacity to dis-l charge liquid from-the gate; and means for opening and closing the latter whereby head pressure acting within the gate Will hold the latter'to its seat, and. acting without the gate will exert substantiallifting ac tion upon the gate. 1 I

21. Sluice gate construction comprising,

lou l in combination, a gate ;a seat therefor of 1 less diameter than saidV gate; means to admit head pressure to the under side of the gate f outside the seat, a liquid inlet opening` to admit liquid under head pressure tothe interior of the gate to hold the latterupon itsv seat, and a discharge. opening of larger capacity than said inlet opening, and means to vary its capacity, thereby lto vary the vol,

ume of liquid contained in said gate whereby l `lifting :potionj upon the. gate.

' `,tofV rtnitzheadipressure without the gate' an outside said seat -to exert substantial f; 22.,SlueegateconstructionV comprising a nrmally-foating unsupported gate, a wat-e1' I Lr'jnletk thereto,Y a water` outlet therefrom, y VvIneensto V dose-,the outlet, a Seat for the gate ,having yla. .v vfatery :passa-getherethrogh, said ,seat being Aof less diameterlthanthe end of the gate'proyiding Van overhang of the latl ter, whereby head Water pressure exerts Sub- `stemtal lifting. action nfpon ,the gate, when HENRYv B. PRATT. 

